Lee Atwater changed the American political playbook. Through his wedge issue tactics, smear campaigning, and diabolical media strategy, he orchestrated George H.W. Bush’s 1988 Presidential campaign and became one of Washington’s elite power players. But, by age 40, Lee Atwater was dead, his spectacular career over in a flash, and his legacy just another story to spin.
SON OF A BITCH chronicles Atwater’s transformation from a scrappy Southern strategist, to the “lying, character-assassinating, knife-fighting son of a bitch” he eventually became. Spanning the course of ten years, the play examines the legitimacy of Atwater’s “crimes”. Was he a “bad boy”, a victim of his time, or the product of American ambition?
A new play from the creators of HFF18 Producers’ Award winners, KEEPING UP WITH THE PROZOROVS and A BEAST/A BURDEN. Starring Ben Hethcoat as Lee Atwater, Luke Forbes as George W. Bush, and featuring Corsica Wilson, David McElwee, Chloe Dworkin and more!
Playwright Lucy Gillespie’s play, Son Of A Bitch while insightful, is also great fun throughout. There are consistent laughs punctuated with the hardness of Atwater.
In the pantheon of polarizing political figures, one might be hard-pressed to find one quite like Lee Atwater, and playwright Lucy Gillespie delivers a fascinating exploration of the man and his policies in Son of a Bitch at Hollywood Fringe Festival.Director Billy Ray Brewton keeps a cast of six talented actors moving at a furious pace yet the production never lets the audience get lost in the political weeds.
Son of a Bitch is a brilliant piece of historical fiction that captures the spirit of the intriguing story of Lee Atwater and his role in the 1988 Presidential elections that resulted in George Bush‘s victory over the more popular Michael Dukakis. Director Billy Ray Brewton has perfectly captured the intelligent writing of Lucy Gillespie, with amazing performances from Ben Hethcoat as Atwater, Dennis Gersten as Vice-President Bush, Luke Forbes as “Jr.,” and David McElwee as the Vice-President’s Chief of Staff Jim. Chloe Dworkin (Cass) and Corsica Wilson (Gladys) turned in excellent supporting performances. If you care about politics, then this is a must see.
As a history nerd who is very familiar with Lee Atwater, I couldn't wait to see this and it did not disappoint. It's an informative, well-written, well-acted play that unfolds like a movie on stage. If you ever wonder how our politics got so dirty, well this is the show for you. You will be entertained, informed, and appalled. Great stuff!
The cast is bolstered by Lucy Gillespie’s hardball script and director Billy Ray Brewton’s fly-on-the-wall gravitas. The dialogue is sharp and builds slowly as the story progresses. Ultimately, I was hoping to see more reasons why Atwater actually is a son of a bitch—most of that rests on his responsibility for his infamous “Willie Horton” campaign ad—but this play nonetheless captures the spirit of achieving victory by shitting all over your enemies with full force. - EXCELLENT SHOW
Gillespie has written a tasty political soufflé and Billy Ray Brewton has directed his actors through this bare bones production. It’s the words and ideas that matter in Son of a Bitch and they come through loud and clear.
Playwright Lucy Gillespie’s play, Son Of A Bitch while insightful, is also great fun throughout. There are consistent laughs punctuated with the hardness of Atwater.
In the pantheon of polarizing political figures, one might be hard-pressed to find one quite like Lee Atwater, and playwright Lucy Gillespie delivers a fascinating exploration of the man and his policies in Son of a Bitch at Hollywood Fringe Festival.Director Billy Ray Brewton keeps a cast of six talented actors moving at a furious pace yet the production never lets the audience get lost in the political weeds.
Son of a Bitch is a brilliant piece of historical fiction that captures the spirit of the intriguing story of Lee Atwater and his role in the 1988 Presidential elections that resulted in George Bush‘s victory over the more popular Michael Dukakis. Director Billy Ray Brewton has perfectly captured the intelligent writing of Lucy Gillespie, with amazing performances from Ben Hethcoat as Atwater, Dennis Gersten as Vice-President Bush, Luke Forbes as “Jr.,” and David McElwee as the Vice-President’s Chief of Staff Jim. Chloe Dworkin (Cass) and Corsica Wilson (Gladys) turned in excellent supporting performances. If you care about politics, then this is a must see.
The cast is bolstered by Lucy Gillespie’s hardball script and director Billy Ray Brewton’s fly-on-the-wall gravitas. The dialogue is sharp and builds slowly as the story progresses. Ultimately, I was hoping to see more reasons why Atwater actually is a son of a bitch—most of that rests on his responsibility for his infamous “Willie Horton” campaign ad—but this play nonetheless captures the spirit of achieving victory by shitting all over your enemies with full force. - EXCELLENT SHOW
Gillespie has written a tasty political soufflé and Billy Ray Brewton has directed his actors through this bare bones production. It’s the words and ideas that matter in Son of a Bitch and they come through loud and clear.
As a history nerd who is very familiar with Lee Atwater, I couldn't wait to see this and it did not disappoint. It's an informative, well-written, well-acted play that unfolds like a movie on stage. If you ever wonder how our politics got so dirty, well this is the show for you. You will be entertained, informed, and appalled. Great stuff!
